Nobody Asked for This

by Matthew Powell on May 16, 2007 1:59 AM CDT in Game_Threads

Whatever happened to "give the fans what they want?" Or "the customer is always right?"

The NBA, thanks to an iron-clad interpretation of a rule nobody has ever liked, has appeased... who? Who's happy about this? The Suns players, fans and coaches are understandably "disgusted." As far as I know the Spurs have made no official comment on the situation. They're not dumb enough to come out and say they agree with the decision and anything voiced to the contrary won't be believed anyway.

The Spurs have never been adored by the public. They've been always been best at what the public enjoys least. That, combined with a star player as engaging as stale bread that refuses to even mold, does not add up to being the team everybody roots for.

But now, seemingly overnight, the Spurs are public enemy #1. General sports fans, feeling robbed of what could have been a series of historic proportion and not being able to blame the true culprit (Stern and Jackson), will resort to championing the Suns as all that as good and the Spurs as thugs.

The Spurs have been cast as thugs. The Spurs. I don't even know the last time (before Monday night, of course) the Spurs were called for a flagrant foul. Since the dawn of the David Robinson era the Spurs have been notorious for being soft. But Bowen turns some loud ankles, Ginobili flops and the rumblings grow.

A stepped on heel, some public bitching and then a virtually inexplicable knee to the groin region. What was that, Bruce? Why fuel the fire?

And then Horry loses his cool and arm checks The Great White Symbol. An inexcusable cheap shot that leads to the unfortunate suspension of two vital Suns players. And with that the litmus paper has been turned and there's no going back. There's no pointing at Baron Davis' elbow to the head of Derek Fisher and questioning his free pass from the masses, no remembrance of a Raja Bell clothesline. The Spurs are thugs. The series is tainted and the indelible dye has been cast upon the post season. The only happy ending, the only way to clean this up is David casting down the Goliath and retaking his seemingly ill-gotten gains.

No matter the outcome tonight, the Spurs will walk away losers.

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Re: Nobody Asked for This

I know...I totally agree with this. What is it with everyone wanting to crucify us lately? Bruce Bowen breathes in the vicinity of an oppsosing player, and it makes him dirty. Manu falls down, gets up with a welt under his eye, and he's still a flopper. Horry loses his cool and commits a frustration foul, and he's a dirty player and we're a dirty team. Is it just....God, is hating on the Spurs that entertaining for people? Either we're too soft, or we're a bunch of thugs...

Just because everyone else is a moron doesn't mean you're a genius.

by Hideyori on May 16, 2007 2:04 AM CDT 0 recs

Re: Nobody Asked for This

You can't be serious- Bowen "Just breathes in the vicinity..."? Are you blind so you could not see the knee to the groin of Nash, or the kick on Stoudemire when he was in the air, and numerous other contacts that were ignored by the league? You don't see Horry's 'horry'ble foul as a dirty one? Do you want to see a player dead to call it dirty?

Ultimately who gets tossed out? The two players that were not a part of the altercation. The one player that almost caused a serious injury to a 2-time MVP gets away with 2 game suspension and his team does not suffer because he was only a role player. Is this pointing to a new strategy in NBA basketball?

I used to like the Spurs and Duncan but after watching this series I will never root for the Spurs. NEVER.

by Vash01 on May 16, 2007 2:39 AM CDT 0 recs

Re: Nobody Asked for This

...I was exaggerating. I'd have thought was apparent. Yes, I saw the knee to the groin. Yes, I saw the kick to Stoudemire. Despite this, I'm not calling Bowen a dirty player, and I'm not calling the Spurs a dirty team. On the other hand, I'm not saying that Bowen is a saint, or that Manu has never flopped, just that it seems like everyone outside the Spurs fanbase will find any excuse to bash the Spurs. I probably could have just said that, but I prefer to use exaggeration and sarcasm. My bad. Also, this might just be me, but I differentiate between a cheap shot and a dirty player. Was Horry's shot a cheap shot? God, yes. A thousand times, yes. But I also think it was out of frustration. People are going to lose control of their emotions eventually. That's what I think happened.

Go to Hell before seeing the moon. -Shagia Frost (Gundam X)

by Hideyori on May 16, 2007 2:58 AM CDT 0 recs

Re: Nobody Asked for This

I've been a big Suns fan since I was a kid (the 1976 Celtics series) and this is the best thing that could've happened to us. The Suns were too "respectful" of the Spurs until Game 4, and they finally got a reason to fight. I don't know if the Suns can win now, but this is the best chance they've got. Watching that game before the Horry foul, I still wasn't convinced they'd win the series.

Regardless of what happens, I do believe that Horry's goonish play signals the beginning of the end for the Spurs dynasty. When your skills decline, you start getting dirty and cheap. Its a shame for the Spurs and for Horry's "legacy" as a player.

While the Suns were in the dumpster and the Spurs were winning, I liked to watch the Spurs. Now, how can I do that?

by JSun on May 16, 2007 3:22 AM CDT 0 recs

Re: Nobody Asked for This

the only play during the whole series that i see as clearly wrong is the horry foul. can you really say (like some shameful broadcasters have intimated) that parker meant to headbutt nash? and it was mentioned in the original post, but bowen's "kick"? a basline camera angle shows clearly that he just stepped on the back of his foot. why haven't you seen it more on tv? because no news is not good news for espn. bowen's kick to the groin? he was clearing space, and he didn't even hit nash that hard. it's not a flying knee or anything.

spurs are thugs?? do you even watch basketball, or do you just repeat the mock outrage you hear on "around the horn"?

you ain't a beauty but hey you're all right.

by kalone on May 16, 2007 8:12 AM CDT 0 recs

Re: Nobody Asked for This

Ugh. This is the worst thing that could of happened. That post was right on Matthew - good job. I got to work about an hour ago and did my morning routine of perusing espn.com and I got sick to my stomach. Pop should read palms, fortune tell, or something because his sarcastic comment about the Spurs being either the Pistons or Raiders has now come true in the eyes of every casual and many real basketball fans. We are now officially the new team to hate. Even on this site, the most pro-spurs place on the internet, there are dissenters. If Horry would have known this would be the reaction I'm sure he wouldn't of done it. It wasn't even that bad of a foul, just a clip on a player at full speed - he was just frustrated and making a statement that the Spurs were tough and that the win didn't phase them (even though it obviously did). Now we are public enemy #1. It just makes me sad, this is a great team and we have made very few mistakes over the past 20 years as far as public image goes (mistakes mostly being Rodman and Rocket Rod Strickland both great players though) but this mistake looks like it will be the most costly. I hope the public can forgive the team that has been voted as one of the best franchises in sports several years running and was as of 1 month ago a soft team.

by staves27 on May 16, 2007 8:47 AM CDT 0 recs

Re: Nobody Asked for This

So the media can hate San Antonio who cares, I don't want a bunch of bandwagoners who know shit about basketabll to give a damn about the Spurs anyways. First off Horry's foul wasn't dirty it was excessive but not dirty. It was unfortunate that Nash was near the sideline that is why it looked worst than it did!

It's funny about Manu being a flopper since this series he hasn't flopped once, but Bell and Nash flop every single time.

It really sucks that Amare and Diaw aren't playing but those two knew the rules and should have never left the bench!

If people want to call the Spurs dirty then be it! fuck the media, they never cared for the Spurs anyways!

by adam8065 on May 16, 2007 9:22 AM CDT 0 recs

Re: Nobody Asked for This

Right on adam8065, fuck the media, all this talk about this being a such a physical series is BS anyway. Did people not watch b-ball in the 80's and 90's, now that was physical b-ball. I hate that the guys for the Suns are being suspended because the NBA could have shown some leeway, but fuck it they didn't and we have to do what we have to do and get these last two wins.

by DennardC on May 16, 2007 11:43 AM CDT 0 recs

spurs fan

first i would like to say a few things

robert horry is not a dirty player, he made a stupid decision and he deserved his suspension esp for knocking my favorite player into the boards
the nba is ridicolous, how can you levy the suspensions in the only series they have left that will have meaning, whoever wins this series wins it all. thats obvious. the nba looks silly
you keep saying the spurs arent happy, they are happy to say that the presence inside is now gone and they arent happy is bullshit.
you've been getting all the calls the whole series, why not this one? amare gets a 4th foul the other day when some guy ive never heard of feet were not planted and duncan with 3 fouls got away with atleast 2 fouls. this has become ridicolous.
the spurs are a dirty team filled wit hdirty players. manu ginobli should go play soccer, he would fit right in and bowen is one of the cheapest players i have ever seen and any spurs fan who say he is not is blind, have you watched this series?
i still think the suns will win in seven but you are so lucky to even be in this spot, everything has gone against us and you keep getting luckier and luckier.

so dont sit here and act like you are upset and how the spurs get a bad rap, the nba has been helping you for the last 4 games and they have already helped you for game 5. im sure they will help you for game 6 and 7. so dont sit there and act like you are victims, you arent. we, the suns fan and the suns organization are.

by unrealanddumbfans on May 16, 2007 11:48 AM CDT 0 recs

Re: spurs fan

that was unreal and dumb.

do you want me to kiss your booboo? sana, sana, colita del rana, si no sanas hoy, sanaras manana.

every team in this league fights to be where they are. there is no league help. league stubborness, but definitely no help.

the reason you feel the way you do is because of the media works today. they called it fascism in the last century. when you turn on the evening news what do you see? "im a victim, shes a victim, you're a victim" stories like the tornado disaster last week. yes, present the human story to extract some compassion from the viewer but include some substance, too, will ya? where's the part of the story that explains what went wrong? what are the next steps? lessons learned? present something useful and stop tear jerking already. but thats the society we live in now.

the suns are victims because they allow themselves to be. they complain and talk to the media without abandon allowing choice quotes to be published. and of course the media feeds off this and magnifies the situation. the spurs keep all their "whining" on the court. they don't parade their hurts and woes for all to sympathize with. they keep quiet and let their play on the court speak.

now that your booboo is all better shut up and play. lets enjoy this series while lasts. lets not taint it with victimization. stop complaining about obstacles put in your way and overcome them.

who are you who can summon fire without flint or tinder? there are some who call me ... tim.

by ptruser on May 16, 2007 12:41 PM CDT up 0 recs

Re: Nobody Asked for This

As an NBA fan, but not a fan of the Spurs, I would have to say I don't blame the Spurs or even Horry's momentary bad judgment for this fiasco, I would place the blame solely on the ego maniac dictator David Stern.

by saxmanager on May 16, 2007 11:55 AM CDT 0 recs

Re: Nobody Asked for This

I still find it funny (not really ha-ha funny, more like "OMG WTF?!" funny) that we went from the NBA's "milk-and-cookies" team to a dirty team that can't win without cheating.

Go to Hell before seeing the moon. -Shagia Frost (Gundam X)

by Hideyori on May 16, 2007 5:07 PM CDT 0 recs